Shanghai tour: Jewish Museum, Bund, Yu Garden & sunset

Walk Shanghai's old quarters and modern skyline in one arc, from a museum few visitors find to a sunset 632 meters up

This private guided tour of Shanghai covers nine to ten hours, moving through Old Shanghai's streets, the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum, the Bund's 26 heritage buildings, Yu Garden's classical pavilions, the French Concession's Shikumen architecture, and ends with coffee and sunset views from Shanghai Tower's 118th floor. Your guide speaks English, Spanish, French, German or one of two other languages, and hotel pickup is included. Dim sum lunch and entrance fees to all attractions are part of the booking.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Shanghai's historic and modern sites

• Meet guide at hotel at 09:00 a.m.
• Visit Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum
• Walk along the Bund and admire architecture
• Explore Yuyuan Old Street and classical garden
• Tour Yu Garden and cross Zigzag Nine Bend Bridge
• Taste traditional dim sum - Xiaolongbao
• Stroll Former French Concession: Xintiandi and Shikumen Museum
• Walk Sinan Road and visit Tianzifang alleys
• Shop and walk along Nanjing Road
• Admire Pudong skyscrapers
• Visit Shanghai Tower observation deck and enjoy coffee
• Return to hotel and end service

The Experience

Your guide meets you at your hotel at 9 a.m. and starts with the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum, a former synagogue that documents the lives of over 20,000 Jewish residents who fled Europe during World War II and lived in Shanghai's Restricted Sector for Stateless Refugees. The museum holds photographs, documents, films and personal items from that era, and you'll also see Huoshan Park, a site important to that history. This is not a stop most Shanghai tours make, and it gives the day a different weight than the usual landmarks.

From there, the route moves to the Bund—the waterfront that defined Shanghai's identity as a trading port. You walk past 26 buildings of different architectural styles: the Peace Hotel, Shanghai Customs House, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank and others, each one a layer of the city's century-old commercial past. You cross to Yuyuan Old Street and Yu Garden, which was built in 1559 during the Ming Dynasty. The garden has six areas, each with its own style; the Grand Rockery sits at the center, and the Zigzag Nine Bend Bridge—nine is an auspicious number in Chinese tradition—leads to the Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse, the oldest teahouse in Shanghai. At noon, you taste Xiaolongbao, the traditional Shanghai dim sum. The afternoon takes you through the Former French Concession: Xintiandi, where Shikumen old houses sit alongside modern cafes and bars; the Shikumen Open House Museum, a 1920s house preserved as a family home of that era; Sinan Road, lined with plane trees and boutique hotels; and Tianzifang, an old industrial area turned fashion district with narrow alleys and restaurants.

You end on Nanjing Road—over 600 shops along 5.5 kilometers—then move into Pudong to see the modern skyline. At Shanghai Tower, the tallest building in Shanghai at 632 meters, you take an express elevator to the 118th floor in 55 seconds. The observation deck is the world's highest indoor one. You have time to stop, look out over both sides of the Huangpu River, and drink coffee or tea on the 119th floor. If the weather holds, you catch the sunset from there. Your guide then returns you to your hotel.

What’s included

• Private transportation with hotel pickup and return.
• professional guide in your choice of five languages.
• entrance fees to the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum, Yu Garden, Shikumen Open House Museum and Shanghai Tower's 118th floor observation deck.
• Xiaolongbao dim sum lunch.
• coffee or tea on Shanghai Tower's 119th floor.
• bottled water throughout the day.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcome

Operated by MoreFunAsia Shanghai Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you have one full day and want to see both old and new Shanghai in a single loop—it covers classical gardens, colonial architecture, and the modern skyline without backtracking across the city.

Top questions

What is the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum, and why is it on this tour?

The Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum, housed in a former synagogue, documents the lives of over 20,000 Jewish refugees who fled Europe during World War II and lived in Shanghai's Restricted Sector for Stateless Refugees—known as the Shanghai Ghetto. The museum holds photographs, documents, films and personal items from that era, and the tour includes a visit to Huoshan Park, a site important to that history. It is a lesser-known side of Shanghai's past that most city tours skip.

How much time do you spend at Yu Garden, and what can you see there?

Yu Garden, built in 1559 during the Ming Dynasty, has six areas each with its own style. You walk through pavilions, halls, rockeries, ponds and cloisters; the Grand Rockery in the center is the most renowned sight. The Zigzag Nine Bend Bridge leads to the Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse, the oldest teahouse in Shanghai. The tour includes time to move through the garden and experience its classical design, though the exact duration depends on the pace your guide sets.

What is Xintiandi, and what makes it different from other parts of the city?

Xintiandi is a preserved area in the Former French Concession that blends Shikumen old buildings—traditional Shanghai houses from the early 20th century—with modern architecture. It has become a fashionable pedestrian street with outdoor cafes, bars and restaurants, representing the leisurely lifestyle of Shanghai's newer generation. The tour includes time to walk around and appreciate both the historical Shikumen style and the contemporary atmosphere.

Does the tour include the Shanghai Tower observation deck, and what is included there?

Yes, the tour ends at Shanghai Tower's 118th floor, the world's highest indoor observation deck. You take an express elevator that reaches the floor in 55 seconds, and you have time to admire the views over both sides of the Huangpu River. Coffee or tea on the 119th floor is included, and if the weather is clear, you can watch the sunset from there.

What languages does the guide speak?

Your guide speaks English, Spanish, French, German or one of two additional languages. You can choose your preferred language when you book.

Is lunch included, and what do you eat?

Yes, lunch is included. At noon, you taste Xiaolongbao, the traditional Shanghai dim sum. The tour also includes coffee or tea at Shanghai Tower in the evening.